


Conference Room Tables

by Birdcagesandrippedpages



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: I'm sorry its so short, M/M, My first oneshot ever, UGHHHH ITS BAD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-01
Updated: 2014-03-01
Packaged: 2018-01-14 05:49:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1255222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birdcagesandrippedpages/pseuds/Birdcagesandrippedpages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry reads.<br/>Maybe reading will make him not-so-invisible.<br/>Maybe someone will see the flutter of a child’s eyelashes as he scans across a page in a novel and think 'Wow, he’s quite pretty, I wonder why he’s not the one doing photo-shoots and commercials on the telly?'</p><p>~OR~</p><p>Harry's mum is head of an agency for child/teen stars, and all Harry wants to do is feel pretty. Louis is an upcoming child model/actor, and when they get into their first trouble, many firsts seem to follow.</p><p>(My first oneshot I've actually posted. I wrote it late at night without editing so please excuse it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conference Room Tables

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first one-shot I'm working up the nerves to post. It's short but it's sweet, and I thoroughly enjoyed typing it at 2 am, so I'm hoping you thoroughly enjoy reading it. Thank you for giving me the time of day :)

The first time he meets Louis, it’s by coincidence and a nanny’s day off…………

 

Harry reads. 

Maybe reading will make him not-so-invisible.

Maybe someone will see the flutter of a child’s eyelashes as he scans across a page in a novel and think wow, he’s quite pretty, I wonder why he’s not the one doing photo-shoots and commercials on the telly? 

It’s not likely, but he reads none-the-less, because if Alice can fall into a hole and discover something magnificent… then maybe a 7 year old with bright green eyes and chocolate curls can have a chance at something magnificent, too.

“Harold, dear, what have your father and I told you? Don’t sit on the floor, you’ll wrinkle your pants. I have a client coming in.” the shrill voice coming from the other side of the huge office didn’t sound like a normal mum, Harry thought dryly as he stood up and dusted the cracker crumbs off his jumper.

“Mum, my name’s not Harold. You know that, you named me.” 

“I also know that with your family’s genes, you should be a lot prettier than you are. I’m allowed to call you whatever I want, ugly duckling. Now sit and observe this next meeting, maybe you’ll catch some modeling essence.”

“Really? I can be special, like Gemma?”

“Who knows, things happen. But you mustn’t get your hopes up. Now act like a doll and go fetch me a - Oh, hello Jay, dear! Come in, come in! These must be the lovely faces of the spring catalog! Beauties, they are!” As soon as the conversation with Harry started, Anne forgot it.

“Hello, Anne! Thank you for calling us in! It’s lovely to be here. Yes, these are my darlings, Louis and Charlotte.” The strange woman motioned to the young boy and girl standing by her hips. 

The little girl looked tiny, only around 1 year old, with bright blonde hair and stunning, HUGE blue eyes. She was very pretty, yes, but her brother (Louis, was it?) was quite possibly the most gorgeous thing Harry had ever seen. Caramel hair, swooshed over slightly, blue eyes (that appeared to have stolen a piece of the Caribbean), and a troublesome smirk that Harry praised and thanked the heavens for - simultaneously. 

 

All he could think was magnificent magnificent magnificent.

 

But instead of voicing his awe of this lovely creature, he sat criss-cross-applesauce and zipped his little mouth shut. He heard his parents opinions of guys loving guys enough to know that speaking up would lead to a mouthful of inflicted pain. 

***

So there Harry sat for the next two hours, while his mum and Jay talked incessantly about modeling and child acting and who-knows-what, bored out of his mind but occupied being infatuated with this ‘Louis’ boy. Somewhere within the first hour or so, Louis started to sneak glances back at Harry, so obviously the 7 year old took it as a sign to pull a cross eyed face in response to the bored, gleaming eyes across from him. 

Louis let out a strange bark of laughter, and the two moms (who were amidst a very important conversation about male makeup, thank you very much) snapped their heads up. Harry quite literally smacked himself.

“HAROLD-”

“That’s not my name.” Harry cut Anne off.

“ARE YOU QUITE FINISHED? Go get Amelia at the front desk, please, and ask her to occupy you. I’m so sorry, Jay.”

“It’s quite alright, I understand children, they can be-“ Jay started to speak but was cut off by a high pitched, soft whisper.

“It’s not his fault, mum. I was the one who laughed. He didn’t do anything.” Louis squeaked out and squeezed his eyes shut, as if he could lessen the blow he assumed Anne was capable of. 

“Louis, dear, why don’t you follow Harry out? Take Lottie with you, go get a snack, it must be awfully boring for you children.” Jay spoke up, and Harry beamed, jumping out of his seat and almost forgetting to bring Louis and his sister along. 

When the 3 of them were easily concealed in an empty conference room under a table, Harry beamed at the other boy. He got so lost in his eyes, in fact, that when Louis muttered “Hi!” he managed to slam his head on the bottom of the table. 

“…Oops! Hello, I’m Harry – NOT Harold – and I’m seven, though everyone tells me I could pass for, like, five. My mum’s kinda always like that, so I’m sorry for interrupting your business meeting. It was her day to watch me, since it’s a weekend and our nanny took off, so she didn’t really want me in there either. Who are you? Sorry, I ramble sometimes.” Harry blushed.

“It’s alright. I’m Louis, I’m 9, but I played a 6 year old in a movie a few months ago, so. My mum is super sweet, but yours does sound pretty harsh. We don’t have a nanny. It’s okay, now you have me! Let’s get into trouble.”

***

“Louis is coming in for a meeting about his next movie. Leave us alone, you brat.” Gemma snarled at Harry, Anne coming behind her to add to the cause.

“He’s been my best mate for 5 years, Gem. Get over it.”

“Yeah, your best mate and all that. We all know you’re a fag, or headed in that direction. Get out. You seem to forget I’m your boss now, mister ‘Hollywood’s charming fresh-faced model’. Shouldn’t you be on a shoot or something?”

“It was canceled. Jay called to tell me Lou was coming, and he was worried about his new role, so I’m here. I’m not a fag, Gemma, I’m gay. Thinking boys are cute isn’t a bad thing. I’m twelve and famous, and you’re sitting in an office, just a washed-up commercial baby. Mum is my boss, not you.” Harry smirked at his sister. After Jay convinced Harry’s mum to try him out in one magazine shoot 5 years ago, he’s been at the top of Hollywood’s watch list. Curls and a dimpled smirk? Golden. It takes a lot of maturity and growing up to be in his role, so being twelve made no difference.

Having a handprint across his face didn’t even phase him anymore, so when “HAROLD” sounded through the room, he prepared for fake nails marking his skin.

There was none. 

“Anne! Harry! Gem! Nice to see you!” Jay sounded, but it was louder than usual and it looked like she was frantic to interrupt. Harry opened his eyes where they had been squeezed shut and found a hand beside his face, inches from a stinging slap.

Thank God for the Tomlinson family.

“Louis!”

“Harry!”

To outsiders it might have seemed funny to see a fourteen-year-old clinging to a twelve-year-old like he was his lifeline, but to everyone in the office building it was a normal occurrence. It might have been weird had it not happened, actually. 

The two starlets hugged it out, though they had just seen each other two days ago on the return of Harry from a movie set. One day apart is one too many, Harry thought, squeezing his crush tighter and breathing him in. Wait, what? 

“Cologne, Mr. Tomlinson? You’re growing up on me, oh no.”

Louis blushed. Harry blinked.

“I’m trying to impress a girl who’s a year ahead…”

Oh. oh. OH.

ow.

“So, um, tell me what you’re worried about for this role of yours. I’m sure you’ll be lovely.”

“Oh yeah! Well the girl I was talking about is the lead, and I want to be cast as the cancer patient who she falls in love with! But I don’t want to shave my head. I’ll look utterly awful.”

“You’ll look fine, you always do,” Harry grinned, but he knew his lip trembled before he could catch it, so he hugged Louis again in desperate hopes that he hadn’t seen it. Stupid crush. Stupid boys. Stupid love. 

***

The first time they kiss, Harry is 15 and Louis is 17.

“Lou… I’m gay.” Harry had choked out and turned on the bed, hiding his face and waiting for a beating.

Nothing came.

“I know, Hazza.”

What? 

“Y-you do?”

“Yes. Because, well… I am too.”

“What? No you aren’t. You dated Hannah, and you and Ele-whore just broke up.” Harry didn’t even have the courage to laugh at his joke.

“They were cover-ups. You really think your mom would let me come out while my career is peaking?” Louis sighed and came behind Harry on his bed, resting a hand on his shoulder. Harry leaned into his touch. 

The realization that his own mum (yes, she may be verbally abusive, but still his mum) kept this from him. Let him sit in misery while the love of his life might have given him a chance. How could she?

Harry turned and peeked up at Louis through tear-clumped eyelashes, and saw Louis physically sigh in fondness. 

“Would you be totally pissed if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were under that bloody conference room table?” Harry squeaked out.

The last thing he expected was the weight of a teen pouncing on him.

Two hands grabbed his face.

Soft lips were pressed to his own.

He fell impossibly deeper in love.

***

The first time Harry is actually beaten, he is alone with his dad. After coming out. 

He thought it would be easier if he went from worst to best in order to tell his family that he’s been in a secret relationship for the last 3 years.

This strategy probably wasn’t the best decision.

“I’m gay. And in a relationship… with Louis.”

“I’m sorry, what? I heard you wrong, Harold. I must have.”

“My name’s not Harold. You heard right.”

And that’s how Harry ended up on the floor with glass shattered everywhere, food muddling his clothes and hair, and bruises littering his porcelain skin. 

Louis is Harry’s first thought the second his father stepped out of the door, grabbing his phone and calling him.

And if anything positive comes of that night, it’s Louis nursing him back to health and endearments flying around like colds in the wintertime.

*** 

The first (and last) time Harry says ‘I do’ he’s 22, though he feels like a giddy seven year old. 

Love is shared. Louis eyes are gleaming, looking like they just stole a piece of the Caribbean, and Harry makes a little cross-eyed face at him in the middle of the ceremony. 

Louis barks out a strange laugh.

No one is there to yell “HAROLD.”

Harry gets to run away with his husband to a happily ever after…

Most definitely NOT under a table in a conference room.

**Author's Note:**

> Well..... Help is greatly appreciated if you have any advice!


End file.
